In connection with packaging certain food items intended to be consumed together, it can be desirable to maintain the food items separate until it is time to consume the food. The separation of the food items can be particularly important when the items are to be combined prior to consumption and one of the items has a high moisture content while the other item has a low moisture content. A common example would be cereal and milk wherein it may be highly desirable to maintain the crunchy characteristic of the cereal by not combining the cereal with the milk until just prior to consuming the cereal. In this example, the cereal and the milk are separately packaged and simply combined in a bowl or other container. In certain circumstances, an overall packaging can include two separately packaged food items which are meant to be combined prior to consumption, with the two packaged food items being attached to one another for ease of transport or sale of the overall packaging. A good example of such an overall packaging is fruit/yogurt parfaits, such as those sold in certain fast food chains, wherein granola is provided with the parfait in the overall packaging, but maintained separate until combined by the consumer right before consumption.
One known packaging arrangement of this type is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown, a packaging arrangement 2 includes a container or cup 5 adapted to house a first food item, a lid 7 for sealing container 5, and a pouch 9 housing a second food item which is meant to be mixed with the first food item prior to being consumed. For consumption purposes, packaging arrangement 2 also includes a utensil 12. More specifically, as shown, container 5 includes a base 18, as well as a sidewall 19 extending from base 18 and leading to an upper flared portion 20 having an associated annular rim 21. Lid 7 as shown includes a side wall 30 having a lower edge 31, and an upper ledge or top portion 33. Like many known lid and container arrangements, lid 7 is adapted to be attached to container 5 with lower edge 31 extending about annular rim 21 and side wall 30 snap-fittingly engaging rim 21. As depicted, lid 7 is integrally formed with a flange 45 projecting from lower edge 31, with flange 45 being provided with an enlarged opening 46.
As also shown in these figures, pouch 9 has a first sidewall 52 and a second sidewall 53 which are joined along side edge 55, side edge 56 and bottom edge 57, as well as a heat sealed region 60 having a top edge 61. Formed in heat sealed region 60, spaced from top edge 61, is a slit 63. In attaching pouch 9 to lid 7 and, indirectly, container 5, pouch 9 is positioned such that flange 45 projects through slit 63. More specifically, slit 63 of pouch 9 receives flange 45 and pouch 9 is moved beyond opening 46 so as to be directly adjacent side wall 30, thereby exposing opening 46 radially outward of pouch 9 as clearly shown in FIG. 2. In a final assembly stage, utensil 12 is slid into opening 46. More specifically, utensil 12 takes the form of a spoon including a handle 67 and a scoop portion 68. With this arrangement, handle 67 is pushed into opening 46, until scoop portion 68 reaches opening 46 in order to attach utensil 12 to lid 7 as shown in FIG. 2.
Although the above discussion certainly outlines one way in which two different items, particularly food items such as yogurt/parfait and granola, can be separately packaged and attached together, there are seen to be various drawbacks to this arrangement. For instance, forming the lid with the specialty flange is somewhat costly. In addition, assembling this known arrangement is considered to be particularly time consuming. Furthermore, this overall packaging is seen to be quite limited in its potential use. For at least these reasons, there is a need for a packaging arrangement for attaching a pouch to a container which will enable two items, such as a high moisture level food product and a low moisture level food product, to be individually packaged and then attached together in a manner which enables the items to be readily separated and, if desired, consumed together.